Hungry for Thanksgiving dinner, but don’t want all the fuss?  Here’s a great way to bring all that wonderful dinner to the table in just one pot.

You can use frozen leftover turkey if you wish without needing to thaw it ahead of time.  Go ahead and use dried cranberries if you need to and substitute orange juice instead of the marmalade if you’d like. And, if sweet potatoes aren’t a big part of your traditional turkey dinner, go ahead and substitute white russets or Yukon Gold potatoes.  You’ll end up with all those wonderful flavors you know and love.

1 lb. boneless turkey breast
1/4 t of salt
2/3 C of frozen cranberries
2/3 C of orange marmalade
1 t of lemon juice
1/8 t of black pepper
1/2 C of walnuts, chopped
1/2 C of turkey or chicken broth
2 C of pearl onions
1 large sweet potato cut in 1/4 inch slices
3 C of frozen cut green beans
1 t of dried sage

Preset the oven temperature to 450 degrees and allow the oven to preheat.
Spray the bottom, sides and lid of a cast iron Dutch oven with a non stick cooking spray.
Place the turkey breast into the bottom of the pot and sprinkle the top evenly with the salt.
If you are using whole cranberries, place the cranberries into the blender and blend until smaller chunks.
Add in the marmalade (or orange juice), lemon juice and pepper and pulse a couple of times to mix. (don’t puree)
Pour half of the mixture over the top of the turkey and sprinkle half the walnuts over.
Add the onions and sweet potato slices.
Pour the remaining cranberry sauce over the top of the onions and potatoes, and sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top.
Spread the green beans over the top and sprinkle with the sage.
Cover and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through.
Spoon the sauce over each serving.

Makes 4 servings

You can substitute other ground meats for this recipe.  Try any combination of ground turkey with ground pork for a different taste.  Or you can use a 1/2 and 1/2 blend of beef and pork.  Whatever you like works just fine.

If you only have frozen spinach on hand, go ahead and use that instead of fresh.  Frozen spinach will work well if you toss it into the meat mixture rather than adding it on top like the fresh spinach.

3 C of macaroni (any sturdy pasta will work – elbow, penne, etc.)
1 (28 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t of salt
1/4 t of pepper
1 t of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 t of basil
1 t of oregano
1 lb. of ground turkey
3 large handfuls of fresh spinach

Lightly oil a cast iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Set your oven to 450 degrees.
Place the macaroni into the pot.
Drain the tomatoes into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1 1/3 cups of liquid.
Add 1/3 of the garlic, the salt and pepper to the tomato juice mixture and stir to blend.
Pour the liquid over the macaroni and stir to coat well.
Place the tomatoes into a mixing bowl and add the remaining garlic, onion, basil and oregano and combine well.
Add the ground meat to the bowl with tomato mixture and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are blended together well.
Drop forkfuls of the meat mixture into the pot.
Top with the spinach leaves.
Cover the pot and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the macaroni is soft.

Makes 4 servings

When it comes to the vegetables, just use what you can get at the local farmers market.  If cauliflower is not your favorite vegetable, choose green beans or broccoli instead.  When eggplant is plentiful, you may want to choose that instead of carrots.  Or just mix up whatever you have on hand to use up.  This is a very versatile and forgiving recipe.

1 small onion, sliced thin
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried marjoram
2 C of bow tie pasta
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t of pepper
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 C of carrots, sliced
1 C of cauliflower florets
1 green bell pepper, cleaned, cut into thin bite size strips

Set the oven temperature to 450 degrees allowing the oven to preheat.
Use a non stick cooking spray and coat the bottom and sides of a cast iron Dutch oven.
Spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the pot.
Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice.  Set the tomatoes aside.

Add enough water to the tomato juice to equal 1 cup.
Add to the tomato juice the basil, oregano and marjoram and stir until blended in well.

Place the pasta into the pot and pour 3/4 cup of the tomato juice mixture over the pasta.
Put the chicken over the pasta and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Scatter the garlic over the top of the chicken.
Spread the tomatoes over the chicken.
Layer in the carrots, cauliflower and bell pepper.
Pour the remaining tomato juice mixture over the top of the vegetables.
Cover and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

If your kids love Mac & Cheese, and what kid doesn’t, here’s a great way to give them their favorite food without a shred of guilt because you’ve also covered some healthy veggies with cheese in the making.

Choose a variety of cheeses to change the dish a bit from time to time.  Try Monterey Jack or Parmesan for additional kick to the mix.  The mozzarella cheese called for in the recipe will give the finished casserole a stringy, gooey texture which kids appreciate.  Swiss cheese will add a whole different flavor and goes well if you decide to add a little diced ham for another great flavor combination.

Be careful not to over-bake this dish as it will tend to dry out and get crusty if cooked too long.  If you’re concerned about the broccoli not cooking thoroughly in that time, precook it a little or use frozen broccoli that has been thawed.

4 C of macaroni
1 1/3 C of water
1 T olive oil
1 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
5 garlic cloves, chopped and divided
1 t dried oregano, divided
1/2 t salt
1/4 t of black pepper
2 yellow bell pepper, cleaned and cut into thin strips that are bite sized
3 C of broccoli florets, cut into small, bite size pieces (these may be slightly precooked – see note above)
3 C of fresh spinach, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped (may substitute grape tomatoes cut in half)

Set the oven temperature to 450 allowing the oven to preheat.
Spray a cast iron Dutch oven well with a non stick cooking spray.
Pour the macaroni into the prepared Dutch oven.
Add the olive oil to the water in the measuring cup and whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture over the macaroni and stir until the macaroni is well coated, being sure to leave macaroni evenly distributed over the bottom of the pot.
Place both types of cheese into a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the macaroni.
Scatter half of the garlic over the cheese.
Sprinkle half of the oregano and all of the salt and pepper evenly over the top.
Layer the bell pepper strips into the pot.
Spread the broccoli over the bell peppers.
Cover with the remaining cheese.
Sprinkle the remaining garlic and oregano over the cheese.
Top with spinach and the tomatoes.
Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and the macaroni is tender.

Makes 4 servings